1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a water cooler and dispensing device that allows standard 3.0 and 5.0 gallon refillable water bottles to remain vertical and upright, rather than inverted, in a completely enclosed, chilled, and insulated container. This configuration precludes the requirement to invert the bottle before placing it on a xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d cooler, and it allows the cooler to be much more compact especially when it is chilled using thermoelectric technology.
The dispenser cap dispenses water from the top of the bottle and provides a fluid level indicator since the bottle is enclosed in an insulated container and cannot be seen. The entire bottle is chilled to impede bacterial growth, and air entering the bottle is filtered to prevent foreign particles from contacting the water. In the preferred embodiment a countertop water cooler for 3.0 gallon bottles is small enough to be placed on a kitchen counter and under the overhead housings.
2. Acknowledgement of Prior Art
Water coolers for domestic use have become relatively commonplace and frequently may be floor standing or counter top models which are adapted to receive a large cylindrical water bottle containing, say, 3.0 or 5.0 gallons of liquid. Such cylindrical water bottles must be lifted, positioned and tipped into a neck down position. The bottle top must open downwards so that water may be drained into a chilled reservoir and then dispensed through a spigot located below the reservoir. The water bottles are unwieldy and difficult to handle, and water is frequently spilt while fitting the water bottle into place.
The bottles must be inverted on top of water coolers in order to allow the water to flow out the neck, now at the bottom, and into a reservoir. The water is xe2x80x9cheldxe2x80x9d in place by the vacuum that forms at the top of the inverted bottle, until such time as a reduced level in the reservoir allows more air into the bottle. This reduces the vacuum and allows more water to flow into the reservoir. Typical applications include office or home water coolers where the user lifts and inverts a 3.0 or 5.0 gallon bottle on top of the water cooler. Several other capacities and shapes of bottles are available, but the general principle remains the same.
There are several drawbacks to the current approach. The bottle is not only heavy, but also very awkward to invert once lifted. The entire water cooler I bottle assembly is very large and space consuming, usually requiring a floor stand configuration. Counter top configurations are available, however the bottle must be inverted at an even greater height, and the overall height once the bottle is in place prohibits the unit from being placed under the overhead housings.
The water bottle, once placed on the water cooler, remains exposed to the usually warm surroundings, leaving the water susceptible to bacterial growth as the drained water is displaced with potentially contaminated room air. Also, the water does not actually drain immediately into the user""s cup (or other container) but rather drains into a reservoir to be chilled prior to use. Users are advised that the reservoir should be cleaned on a regular basis, but this rarely occurs. Hence the reservoir is also susceptible to contamination over time. Furthermore, the limited size of the reservoir determines the amount of chilled water that may be dispensed at any one time. Subsequent users must wait for the next xe2x80x9cbatchxe2x80x9d of cold water to be chilled in the reservoir.
Rather than address these larger issues, several inventors have focussed on improving the chilling system used in the xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d inverted bottle design. As an example, several recent patents suggest the use of thermoelectric modules rather than compressor based refrigeration to cool the reservoir. U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,462 issued Sep. 19, 2000 to Busick and Burrows (assigned to Oasis Corporation) teaches an inverted bottle mounted on top of a reservoir, and an improved method of cooling the reservoir which primarily amounts to an improved method of removing heat from the thermoelectric module which in turn removes heat from water contained in the reservoir. Several other Patents, as listed below, use the same basic xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d design and focus on the efficiency and effectiveness of the underlying thermoelectric components.
Some of these Patents, for example ""211, use the dual cool/heat capabilities of a thermoelectric module to first cool to form ice and then heat to release the ice and allow it to float to the top of the water reservoir. This approach is novel, however the ice, when formed on the conductor plate, does not transfer heat efficiently. Also, the heat required to release the ice from the conductor plate detracts from the overall efficiency of the water cooler. The concern over efficiency has recently come to light with the introduction of Energy Star efficiency standards for water coolers from the Environmental Protection Agency.
While these developments may function as designed, they still exhibit the fundamental problems associated with a xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d water cooler. The bottle must be lifted and inverted on top of the cooler, there is an xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d bottle of potentially warm and bacterially friendly water on top of the cooler, and the design occupies a great deal of space
Still other inventors have tried to address certain non-cooling aspects of the xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d water cooler design. Prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 6,098,844 issued Aug. 8, 2000 to Nicolle, which suggests the use of water bags rather than inverted bottles on top of the cooler, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,614 issued Jun. 20, 1995 to Perussi and Perussi, which suggests the use of a bottle lifting and inverting apparatus to ease the task of placing the bottle on top of the cooler. Two other Patents, U.S. Pat. No. 5,540,355 issued Jun. 30, 1996 to Hancock, Mackay, et al (assigned to Water Chef) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,725 issued Mar. 5, 1996 to Middlemiss both suggest that the bottle be left in the upright position, thereby precluding the need to invert the bottle. Both of these designs use a pump to move the water to an external reservoir. In particular, ""725 uses an air pump to pressurize the water bottle thus pushing the water out. This approach will work, however it does not provide positive flow control since water will continue to flow, after the pump is turned off, until the pressure subsides, and it does require an hermetic seal between pump and bottle to function properly.
Several xe2x80x9cspill proofxe2x80x9d cap designs have been disclosed, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,484 issued Aug. 13, 1985 to Deland. While these patents may address specific issues, they do not resolve all of the problems associated with xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d water coolers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,708 issued Nov. 25, 1995 to Harrison and Brown teaches an efficient means to cool bottled water through intimate thermal contact with a thermoelectrically cooled cold saddle, and an effective means to control condensation between the water bottle and the cold saddle. In this design the entire bottle of water is chilled with no requirement for an external reservoir that needs to be cleaned on a regular basis. In xe2x80x9ctraditionalxe2x80x9d water cooler design terms the bottle becomes a very large capacity reservoir that is automatically replaced each time the water bottle is changed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for dispensing water from a water bottle which may be operated with the bottle in an upright position for ease of handling of the water bottle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a means for dispensing water from a water bottle and which is compact in size enabling it to be positioned in relatively small spaces, such as on a counter under cupboards.
It is yet another object of the present invention to integrate a dispensing function and a filtration mechanism for lessening the potential for contamination of the water in the bottle as air flows into the bottle to replace dispensed water.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water cooler and dispenser which encloses the water bottle within an insulated housing in order to prevent unwanted heating of the water stored within the water bottle.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water cooler and dispenser which combines both functions in a simple, compact and highly efficient unit.
This invention relates a cooler and dispenser for use with a water bottle. The cooler and dispenser comprises a dispenser cap having a cap housing adapted to operatively engage the neck of the water bottle. A pump is mounted within the cap housing in fluid connection with the interior of the water bottle and with a delivery tube. The cap housing also houses an air inlet tube having a first end in fluid connection with the interior of the bottle and a second end in fluid connection with the air, and an air filter is operatively connected to the second end of the air inlet tube. An actuating means is operatively connected to the pump to selectively operate the pump to draw water from the water bottle into the delivery tube. A thermally conductive cold saddle is provided and configured for intimate supporting contact with the bottom and a selected portion of the sides of the water bottle in order to withdraw heat from the water contained in the water bottle. A housing retainingly engages the dispenser cap, the cold saddle, and the water bottle. The housing has at least one opening to permit the delivery tube and the actuating means to extend therethrough, and at least one other to permit the venting of the heat from the cold saddle. An opening in the housing also permits the through passage of an electrical power supply to the cold saddle and the pump. An indicator light, visible through an opening in the housing is also provided. The indicator light is operatively connected to a control circuit, which in turn is operatively connected to a water level sensor, whereby the indicator light emits a first signal when power is applied to the cooler and dispenser, and a second signal when the fluid level in the water bottle falls below the threshold level.
A dispenser cap is provided for use with a bottle for fluids. The dispenser cap comprises a cap housing adapted to operatively engage a neck of the bottle. A pump is mounted within the cap housing in fluid connection with the interior of the bottle and with a delivery tube. An air inlet means is provided in fluid connection with the interior of the bottle and with the air.